


Everything You Want

by Karasu888



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Absolute fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, So fluffy you could make a cloud out of it, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 15:13:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19396750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karasu888/pseuds/Karasu888
Summary: I wrote this fluffy little one-shot based off of a doodle from @flavoredmagpie on Tumblr and a suggestion from @TheFire_in_the_NightSky on AO3. I needed some heart-healing fluff after the recent scenes in Time Past. I hope you enjoy!





	Everything You Want

It always startled Kestrel how low the temperature dropped in the desert at night. The forests he came from trapped in the heat and blocked out the sun, so the temperature remained fairly consistent. The chill in the air numbed his nose and pointed ears, and he huddled deeper under his blanket in the confines of his tent. Despite the cold, he was willing to brave it alone, not in the mood to socialize with the rest of his companions around the warm campfire after today’s events. 

Just when he thought this world couldn’t get any crazier, another horrendous situation turned his stomach. Like Grey Wardens willingly binding demons to their mages through blood sacrifices.

After witnessing senseless murder, grilled gurn meat for dinner sounded completely unappetizing. He’d retired to bed early, despite Dorian’s concerned glances. 

Yet, as he closed his eyes, visions of Grey Warden after Grey Warden being twisted into abominations haunted him. Even if his luck grew and his mind managed to settle, his hand twinged and flared with the after effects of Livius’ assault. The Tevinter had been unsuccessful, but it still ached.

A while later, the gentle flutter of the tent opening offered him a welcome reprieve from his unsuccessful attempt at sleep. He spotted the culprit hovering by the entrance as the familiar scent of brandy and sandalwood filled their small, shared space.

Warm gray eyes sought out his. “No luck?” Dorian asked, tone soft and sympathetic. 

With a heavy huff, Kestrel sat up, blanket bundled around him. “Yeah…” he said, voice scratchy from the dry air and feeling as tired as he probably looked.

“What you need, my dear _amatus_ , is a distraction,” Dorian said with a smirk.

Kestrel’s eyes dropped to his full lips in their teasing position, cheeks warming. “You know how I feel about doing... _that_ when we’re so close to others, Dorian!”

“Why, Kes, I’m not a _complete_ rogue,” he said, smirk growing. He folded an arm over his chest, bent at the waist, and extended a hand, much like their night at Halamshiral when they danced together under the stars.

Kestrel sat up on his knees and let his blanket fall away in favor of taking the offered hand. Warm fingers curled around his before pulling him to his feet. “You want to dance…?” he asked, confused.

Dorian’s smirk shifted into a genuine smile. “I was hoping for a simple stroll, but if you insist on a dance…”

“No!” Kestrel said quickly. While he could manage a dance thanks to Josephine’s teachings, it still wasn’t his strong suit.

“A stroll it is.” Dorian squeezed his hand. 

They ducked out of the tent, and Kestrel was relieved to find the others had retired for the night. All that remained were a few guards stationed around the perimeter. They were alone, as alone as he ever was as Inquisitor.

Dorian’s hold on his hand was firm and grounding, and Kestrel clung to it like a lifeline as he was pulled along the sandy ground, away from the torchlight surrounding their camp. His bare feet sank into the cool sand with each step.

Just as one of the guards headed their way to intervene, Dorian held up a hand and waved him off. The woman looked pointedly at Kestrel and didn’t turn away until he gave a quick jerk of his head in agreement.

Dorian scoffed but otherwise kept any rude comments to himself.

“Dorian, where are we-?”

“There’s something I want to show you, _amatus._ ”

Show him? In a desert devoid of lush plant life and full of starving beasts? And hopefully those starving beasts had retired for the evening. Still, he couldn’t deny his curiosity, so he allowed himself to be led deeper into the low dunes.

In the silence that followed, a chorus of crickets chirped along their path, filling the air behind and ahead with their delicate song and leaving them in a bubble of quiet where the scuffle of their feet through the sand rang loud.

The sudden crackle of his hand stilled all the nighttime noises, casting a brief sickly green sheen over their surroundings. Kestrel clutched his palm to his chest, clenching his hand into a quick fist, but not quick enough.

Dorian stopped walking and glanced back. “Are you alright?” he asked with a frown.

Kestrel nodded his head. “I’m fine. Let’s continue on, okay?” He prayed Dorian wouldn’t dwell on the anchor’s outburst. It occasionally flared up on its own, and he’d made it quite clear early on in their relationship that he had no desire to be babied, rebelling mark or not.

Dorian opened his mouth in protest, but promptly snapped it shut when Kestrel began to pull away. Clearly unconvinced but willing to forgo another argument, Dorian sighed, squeezed his hand still firmly entwined with his, and continued forward.

As the camp fell further and further behind, so did the light. Dorian’s hand birthed a little flame, just in time to keep Kestrel from stubbing a toe on a surprise boulder. 

“I believe this will do,” Dorian said, the fire illuminating his gentle smile, a rare shift away from his usual smirk.

That smile always filled Kestrel’s stomach with butterflies, and he quickly looked away, too afraid of what he might confess to such a vulnerable expression. “I...I can barely see. What did we come out here for?” The night swallowed anything past a few paces, Satina just a thin sliver in the sky. Even with his feline-like vision, he struggled to see outside of their bubble of light.

Dorian squeezed his hand in reassurance and sat down. “Join me?” he asked.

“...In the sand?”

Dorian chuckled. “I already have sand in every nook and crevice there is. What’s a little more?”

Surprised by his lack of usual complaint, Kestrel settled down next to him, legs bent in front.

Still their hands remained clasped together.

Dorian stretched out one leg as he said, “The study of the stars was a hobby of my father’s, you know. ”

Kestrel let his words hang in the air while he waited for Dorian to continue, the cool night air soothing the anger and the pain buried deep within them. The gentle squeeze he offered to Dorian’s hand may have helped too.

With a heavy exhale, Dorian forged through the emotions with a lighter tone, “I used to spend many nights with him at our country home, observing the different constellations. Even as I grew older, whenever I was having a difficult time, I would search for the familiar stars. Something about seeing them aglow, never changing, helped settle me. Ground me. Made me realize how insignificant my troubles are compared to the vast expanse that exists out there. I thought, perhaps, it might do the same for you.”

The crickets sang their agreeance, and something large bellowed far off.

“They are beautiful.” Kestrel scooted closer to Dorian. “I never had much of a chance to learn about the constellations. The trees normally blocked them out where my Clan roamed.”

Dorian’s smile grew, and his eyes burned with excitement in the firelight. “Okay. I’m going to snuff the flame, so we can properly see the stars,” he said before closing his fingers around the small fire. 

Plunged into darkness, it took Kestrel’s eyes some time to adjust. The stars glowed brighter with every passing moment. Soon enough, he could see the darkened desert landscape around them, the meager moonlight outlining the sparse vegetation and rolling sand dunes of the Western Approach. When he shifted his gaze skyward, the stars twinkled and glowed, each fighting for their own spot in the vast expanse. They were stunning, and he found it difficult to believe he’d never taken a moment to study them before.

“There’s so many,” he said, voice hushed as if he might scare the stars away.

“That there are,” Dorian answered, tone equally as awed.

He searched the sky for any visible patterns, but the sheer number of stars was overwhelming. “How do you know which stars form what constellations?” Kestrel asked. 

Dorian crowded closer and pointed into the night. “See that bright star directly above that shrub over there? A bit of a way up.”

“Yes, I think so.”

“And the smaller star above it?”

Kestrel nodded his head.

“That’s the mast of _Peraquialis_ , also known as Voyager. If you follow the stars up and around, there’s the sail. The bright star is in the middle of the boat itself.”

Try as he might, Kestrel couldn’t decipher a boat among all the stars. After a long breath of silence, disheartened, he muttered, “I can’t find it.”

“A visual reference would help. My father would draw out the shapes on paper for me to use. Now, I left my supplies in the tent but...Ah! I have it.” Dorian leaned away for a moment, tugging on Kestrel’s hand without releasing. He returned with a short stick in hand a moment later. With the tool, he drew an outline in the sand between them. “There. This is what you’re looking for.”

Kestrel studied the drawing, noting each star defined by a deeper indentation.

“Got it? Now, look for the bright star above that shrub again and find the same shape in the sky,” Dorian said, pointing again.

It took him several moments, but the ship and its sail materialized before Kestrel’s eyes. “I see it!” he shouted, previous disappointment forgotten. A child-like elation bubbled up within him.

“Good!” Dorian cheered him on with a big grin, thumb caressing the back of Kestrel’s hand. “Ready for the next one?” Excitement brightened his words.

Kestrel nodded his head, and the lesson continued. They searched the sky for several more constellations, previous nightmares lost to the pleasant company.

Dorian swiped his hand through the sand as he said, “Now, this one is tricky to find the form, but I believe you’ll appreciate what it stands for.” He drew a more complicated diagram with several branching shapes off the main body. Once done, he set the stick down and looked to the sky. “Where are you…” he said to himself, brow furrowed in concentration. “Normally higher in the sky and...there we are!” He gestured into the air. “This is a big one. Start with the twin stars overhead and follow them down into two triangles.” He continued to wave his hand in the air as he described what to look for. “See it?”

Kestrel glanced between the ground and the sky several times, trying to follow the outline of stars. He could feel Dorian watching him, willing him to succeed, sending his cheeks flushing under his studious stare. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. With a bit of effort, the stars aligned into a pattern similar to Dorian’s drawing.

“You see it, don’t you?” Dorian asked, closer than before.

“Yes, but I’m not sure what I’m looking at. The horse, sword, and even the wolf made sense after some squinting, but this…” He waved at the sky. “I don’t know what this is supposed to be, aside from complicated.”

“It’s called _Fervenial_. Also known as ‘the Oak’.”

“That’s a _tree_?” No way that cluster of stars depicted a towering oak.

Dorian laughed. It silenced the crickets and filled the air with its joyous sound instead.

Right then, in that moment, Kestrel realized he would kill anyone that kept Dorian from laughing like that.

“Okay, I’ll admit it takes a bit of imagination, _amatus_. Picture a leafless tree.”

“You think because I’m Dalish, I’m going to be fascinated by an abstract outline of a tree in the sky?” Kestrel said in a playful tone, grinning at Dorian.

“I’ve read that the constellation was originally based off of your goddess Andruil.”

Kestrel raised a skeptical brow. “Truly?”

Nodding his head, Dorian said, “Yes. In fact, there are several constellations that may be connected to you pantheon.”

Dorian turned back to the stars and started listing off the various names before launching into a detailed description of what each constellation’s origins were. He gestured dramatically at the sky, completely engrossed in his teaching.

Meanwhile, Kestrel watched him with a fond smile. Dorian’s passion was mesmerizing. But more than his words, the way the soft starlight outlined his glorious nose and shimmered along his well-manicured mustache held the enchantment.

Kestrel whispered, “You’re everything I want.”

Dorian stopped mid-explanation on the origins of Fenrir, the wolf constellation. He looked at Kestrel, eyes wide, and said, “Excuse me?”

Oh, fuck. Where had that come from? Kestrel quickly looked away and muttered, “Ah, nothing.” He prayed the darkness hid his full-body flush of embarrassment, and that Dorian hadn’t correctly heard his words.

Dorian leaned closer, his breath tickling the tip of Kestrel’s ear. “I could’ve sworn you said something along the lines of ‘you’re everything I want.’”

Double fuck. “Nope. Definitely not. Must’ve been the wind.” Not even the smallest whisper of a breeze stirred the cool air.

“Or perhaps the crickets confessing their love of me?” Dorian offered.

There was no hiding it now. Kestrel groaned and buried his face in his palms.

Dorian scooted closer, hips touching. “Impressed by my brilliance, were you?” he said, humor still coloring his words.

“I didn’t mean it...” Kestrel mumbled into his hands. Another lie.

“No? More’s the pity, I suppose.”

He tried to keep his tone light, but Kestrel heard the undercurrent of disappointment. They’d yet to say _those_ three words, both carrying their own heavy baggage, but “you’re everything I want” was dangerously close. 

Perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing.

With a soft sigh, Kestrel uncovered his face and side-eyed Dorian just in time to watch a mask slide over his disappointment as he looked back to the sky.

What had he done? Why was he so quick to deny how he truly felt? Dorian was only trying to cheer him up, and he’d spoiled the mood.

Allowing a rare impulsiveness to take over, Kestrel grabbed Dorian’s face and kissed him. His hand crackled with the contact of the mage’s skin, bathing them both in green for a moment before it settled. Still, his fingers sought purchase on Dorian’s day-old stubble. He pushed all of his unvoiced feelings into the kiss, desperate for absolution from the man he loved.

Dorian resisted out of surprise before his lips parted in eager response.

As soon as it began, it was over, guilt breaking them apart. The need for forgiveness was too great. Kestrel said, “I’m sorry, _ma vhenan_.” His apology filled the small space between them. “I’m horrible at this.”

Dorian rested his forehead against Kestrel’s, hand falling on his thigh. “I imagine this is new territory for both of us, _amatus_. There’s no set path forward. We’re forging our way together and-”

Fingers brushed along Dorian’s rough jawline until they slipped under his chin and gently pushed, lifting his face enough to plant a soft kiss before his reprieve was even finished. Sometimes Dorian was too wordy for his own good.

What was supposed to be a short, thankful peck shifted into something deeper, more passionate, underlied with that unsaid, budding love. Dorian pushed him back into the sand, hand cupping his face, caressing his cheek as their tongues danced.

Kestrel’s body grew warm, responding to Dorian’s attentive kiss and the way his fingers brushed along his skin, lighting a fire in their wake. As Dorian leaned closer, bracing himself over Kestrel with a hand in the sand, Kestrel arched up to meet him. His fingers found their way into the short strands on the back of Dorian’s head, finding enough length there to grip and tug.

With a pleased groan, Dorian buried his face into the crook of Kestrel’s neck, teeth nipping at the smooth muscle before digging deeper, enough to leave a mark.

Kestrel cried out even as he turned his head to grant access to the full length of his neck.

Dorian soothed the bitten skin with a languid lick. “If you make too much noise, _amatus_ , the guards will come to investigate,” he said against his throat in a low, aroused growl.

Following a heavy huff full of frustration, Kestrel said, “Perhaps...we should stop.”

Dorian grunted his disapproval and pulled back just enough to look at Kestrel, breathing heavy with desire. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to conveniently forget your prudish rule for tonight,” he whispered as his hand traveled down Kestrel’s neck to his chest. “Let me _prove_ I’m everything you want.”

Dorian’s hovering form blotted out the myriad of stars above them, but it didn’t matter, he was more beautiful than all the stars in the sky. How could he deny his request? “Okay,” he said softly. As Dorian grinned and started to sit up, but Kestrel grabbed his shirt and held him close. “But here, under the stars, _ma vhenan_. You’ll just have to keep me quiet.”

***

Some time later, with sand shaken from hair and brushed off of bare skin, both men returned to their shared tent, the worries of the day left buried deep in the sandy dunes under the starry night.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Also, please visit flavoredmagpie on Tumblr and commission them. Their work is wonderful!
> 
> Lastly, Happy Pride Month everyone! Whether you part of the LGBTQ community yourself or an ally, please protect, understand, and care for one another. <3


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